Transportation plan has no bike funds

Though city staff said they would keep looking for grant money, bicycling advocates lamented the end of the trail for dedicated funding for bikeway and pedestrian programs in Vancouver on Monday night.

Following two sessions of public comment calling on the council to spare money for alternate transportation in the city’s Transportation Improvement Plan, it unanimously voted to approve the plan without any.

More than two dozen cycling enthusiasts and bike commuters came to the council two weeks ago when the plan — a six-year document outlining the city’s major capital projects — was first presented, asking that $200,000 set aside for incidental overruns in costs be rededicated to bikes and pedestrians. They returned Monday, hoping there could still be a change of plans.

“I am dismayed, I suppose, to see a zero line item for bikes in the face of tens of millions …for widening lanes,” said Gerik Kransky, advocacy campaign manager for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. “I would ask that you start digging in the tens of millions you have and find something, anything, to fund the bike program.”

Vancouver Transportation Planning Manager Matt Ransom told the council that the Transportation Improvement Plan isn’t intended as a budget document, but as a list of what needs to be done. He said staff constantly works to find grant money to pay for projects that are listed as having no funding in the plan.

Though most grants need matching money from the city, Ransom said he will still look for state and federal money, and if the city wins a grant, he can go to the city manager to ask for matching city funds to be assigned.

“We’ve committed the money we have, but that doesn’t mean … we can’t pursue other opportunities,” Ransom said. “We just have to be mindful we don’t over commit ourselves.”

Vancouver resident Leah Jackson said she was disappointed in the absence of bike funding, and asked as a mother of two, a bicycle commuter and a small business owner, that the council reconsider.

“You need to look toward the future, and we know we won’t have enough space to accommodate just vehicles,” she said.

Councilor Jack Burkman pointed out that the city’s two major (and final for the foreseeable future) capital projects — expanding Northeast 18th Street from 112th Avenue east to Four Seasons Lane and the waterfront access work — will both have bike and pedestrian improvement elements. Also, in this economy, he said he’s “optimistic” that bids for the $30 million-plus in work could come in well below expectations.

“Possibly, with this economy, we will get bids that may be lower, and we may have money to push back in,” Burkman said.

Special event rules approved

The council also on Monday approved, after seven meetings on the topic, a special events ordinance.

The ordinance, which outlines city policy and procedure for such large events as parades and concerts, also included language involving “expressive activities,” which sparked feisty debate that split the council and drew in Tea Party members and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The council voted 4-to-3 in favor of approving an ordinance that has no requirements for those wishing to hold a free speech gathering of any kind or size to notify the city first. Councilors Burkman, Jeanne Stewart, Larry Smith and Pat Campbell voted in favor; Mayor Tim Leavitt and councilors Jeanne Harris and Bart Hansen were against it.

Those in favor of no regulation thanked the city for their restraint in not requiring a permit.

“You folks have done a wonderful job,” said Vancouver resident and council meeting regular Larry Patella, in a rare showing of support of his elected officials’ actions. “You almost have the wisdom of Solomon — it’s enough to placate those who want control, and enough for those of us who want to do a little rabble-rousing.”

Harris said she still doesn’t get how a need to avoid conflicts between major events — like a wedding and a protest march, or a television production crew and a rally — has been construed as restricting the First Amendment.

“This is not about taking away your freedom of expression, it’s about coordination,” Harris said. “It’ not about taking away your right to assemble, it’s about being courteous.”

The city’s ordinance states that groups wishing to host an expressive activity “may” notify the city beforehand. City laws about disturbances, blocking traffic and other statutes still apply to such groups.

“We’ve talked about this for a while now, I’m not sure there’s much more to talk about between us,” Leavitt said.

Andrea Damewood: 360-735-4542 or andrea.damewood@columbian.com.